Thomas Bradley
Thomas James Bradley (born 23 June 1955), is an American Lawyer and Politician who currently serves as the Senior United States Senator from Illinois. Early Life Bradley was born in Manchester, New Hampshire to parents Eliza and Howard Bradley. His father and he had a strained upbringing from the death of his mother when he was 8. At 18, he graduated from his father's private secondary school and was accepted to study at Harvard Law, after which he opened and operated a successful private law practice out of Springfield. Bradley had moved to Illinois with his wife, Annabel Louise-Johnson, before they were married in late 1982, Illinois Secretary of State and Assault Accusations In 1986, Bradley ran for Illinois Secretary of State, losing the race following accusations of infidelity with an intern, which where not confirmed and which were vehemently denied by Bradley and his wife. In 1990, Bradley ran again, this time emerging victorious against the now scandal-ridden Republican. During said campaign, an ex-girlfriend of his accused him of rape in his early years at college but Brady refuted the charges as he was out of town at the time of the alleged incident. 4 claims accusing the Senator of assault or misconduct exist, but none of the four have been substantiated, and Brady himself has denied even knowing two of the accusers. U.S. Senator from Illinois Elections In 1996, Bradley announced his candidacy to fill the Senate seat of retiring Democrat Henry Brooks. Initially planning to win the seat as an independent, he instead took to a grassroots campaign to win the Democratic Primary. He won the primary in a landslide with minimal opposition, and In the lead-up to the 1996 Senate Election, Bradley campaigned heavily for a comprehensive healthcare reform bill, making it a fixture of his campaign. He defeated Republican opponent Meghan Pascale, wife of former Governor George Pascale, with 51.2% of the vote to Pascale's 48.3%. Bradley was reelected in 2002 with a larger margin, and again in 2008 with an even larger margin. In 2014 he faced notable opposition from Illinois Congressman Rob Schafer, who finished the race against Bradley with 46.2% of the vote. Political Positions and History He has oftentimes been considered to be a moderate Democrat given his stance on immigration and taxes counter-balancing his position on gun control and healthcare.his position on immigration has been a slightly harsher one than most Democrats as he believes that a comprehensive reform to Immigration is needed otherwise 'The United States will not be able to heal this divide between us'. He has supported huge reform efforts. Bradley also supports Universal Healthcare and reforming the ability of corporations to influence elections. Bradley's Catholicism did not prevent him from voting for the repeal of DADT and he has supported the rights of Gays and Lesbians in the military. A supporter of a more domestically focused America, he has proposed bills intended to increase healthcare access for the lower income. Bradley's position on gun control has been that background checks should be instilled and that the CDC should be asked to research all effects of gun control and presently active gun legislation. Bradley campaigned strongly against the Dickey Amendment and has attempted to repeal it twice, in 2007 and in 2009, but even with Democrats in control of both houses, and the Presidency on the second count, efforts to pass the Repeal stagnated. He voted against US military action in Iraq arguing that it was inadequately prepared for. Bradley personally opposes Abortion but argues that the state has no place in deciding the reproductive rights of a woman. Bradley has opposed significantly raised taxes on the wealthiest of Americans and has repeatedly attempted to increase Medicaid to the lowest income Americans. He has pushed firmly for immigration laws which tighten the restrictions on prospective immigrants and has argued for US withdrawal from the Israeli situation. An excerpt of an address he made at the University of Chicago in 2015; "The United States can cultivate a relationship with our allies in Europe determined to prosperously and delicately address the imbalance of the Middle East. A closer relationship with Russia, China and Japan can give us the means to address Israeli-Palestine relations directly." Personal Life Bradley has two children, Lola (born 1993) and a son, Jason (born 1998). The Senator's accusations of sexual assault have been likened to those levied against President Tom Pallot The Senator enjoys chess and a good game of Monopoly. He is known to watch political dramas.